


flight of fancy

by kyoloren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Undeath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21972982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyoloren/pseuds/kyoloren
Summary: just my version of a fix-it fic about the end of tros. things are pretty much the same, but happier.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 16
Kudos: 117





	flight of fancy

**Author's Note:**

> so i went to see tros, got on tumblr for the first time in two weeks, and then wrote this whole fic less than 12 hours after seeing the movie.
> 
> needless to say, there's a million of these fics around here but hopefully someone finds entertainment from this one!
> 
> quickly edited by myself, sorry for any mistakes.

The power was more than she could ever have imagined. And it wasn't hate or rage or anger; it was love and support, the voices of the past fighting for her spirit, giving her the strength to end the reign of the Emperor after decades of war in the galaxy.

The battle overhead was distant, nothing but the lightest of rumbles in her ears. The power that had run through her was taken away as swiftly as it came. Both lightsabers fell from her grasp, strength gone. Her knees met the floor, her limbs growing cold and she crumpled to the floor. She couldn't focus on the battle between the Sith warships and Resistance fighters; they were just blurs in the sky.

Her pulse slowed and her eyes grew heavy. She wanted to just stay here and not move, her mind having no greater purpose. She was completely and utterly spent. Her breath barely stirred the dirt and dust underneath her face.

Rey's thoughts turned ever so briefly to Ben. _Ben_ , who had arrived, whole and prepared to help her face Palpatine.

She must have fallen unconscious because everything went dark and quiet.

Ben dragged himself from the pit, the air void of the sickly evil of the Emperor, his head void of any voices but his own. He thought that it may have been lonely, but it was the most freeing feeling he had had since…well, pretty much ever. Even as a child there was always something, someone _lurking_.

He had barely been able to save himself from the depths of the pit, and bones were definitely broken and he was bleeding from a number of wounds. Unlike before, he did not embrace the pain. He had no need to anymore.

Pain was nothing once he'd gotten to the cracking floor, the battle above causing ships to fall, shaking the world around him, because he saw Rey unmoving, the ground around her cleaned of any debris.

He tried to walk faster but collapsed, his leg broken, the wound on his abdomen bleeding freely. Gasping, he reached out, barely feeling her lifeforce and it was enough to get him up and moving. After all this, he couldn't let her die. He wouldn't ever be able to forgive himself if she did, would never want to live if she wasn't.

In the end he lowered himself to the ground ungracefully and reached out for her arm, pressing his fingers to her wrist. A pulse, but barely; he really had to search.

Ignoring the jolts of pain, he pulled her to him and held her, her skin cold, but her expression peaceful. He wondered for a moment if he could even bring her back from a point this far gone, but then he remembered his mother and how she had reached out to him. The feeling, _that_ feeling, of being loved and wanted was enough to show him the way, to give him the confidence to do it.

The whole cavern shook as more of the Sith Fleet fell, exploding in the sky and heading toward the surface of the planet with booms of thunder and earthquakes.

Everything fell silent as Ben laid his hand on Rey and closed his eyes, feeling for the tiniest flicker of a spark in her. Dark power was not healing power, he had never healed anyone since he was a child, but it was easier than he expected. All he had to do was open himself up, and let the Force flow from him, to Rey, bringing her back from the edge.

He would have given it all, if he had to. He was willing to give everything, prepared to make that sacrifice. He could feel his power waining, but didn't stop it, not until Rey shifted and her hand slid over his. The Force, that sentient, impossible thing, had woken her.

But Ben's own life was still there, small but flickering deep-seeded within him.

"Ben." The name whispered as consciousness flooded her mind and she opened her eyes, body ready to fight, before she realized, remembered what had happened. She didn't need to fight any longer, and the first thing she saw was his face, feeling his warmth in all the places they touched. She curled her fingers around his hand and stared, unbelieving.

She still felt weak, but she was breathing, _alive_ , and so was he.

He looked at her like she was the answer to the question of all things in the cosmos. Words weren't enough, but the intimacy of the Force connecting them took care of all of that.

"Ben," she said again, a bit louder, and a bit more like a question than a statement. As if she wasn't entirely sure she had actually lived. This could be some lovely, kind dream, couldn't it?

But his hands tightened around her and he smiled a small smile and he felt real. The corners of her own lips twisted up in a smile of relief. Her hands were bloody and bruised from the fight but she still lifted one to his face, brushing her skin over his own. His scar, the one she had put there in anger, was gone. Had she…did she know she'd done that? Did it matter?

(It did. But perhaps not at this very moment.)

Without a word, she gripped his shoulder and pulled his face toward her and kissed him like he was the air she needed to breathe.

Whatever strength left in them both was put toward holding onto each other. There was nothing more either of them wanted. That burning, bubbling desire to be loved and needed and wanted was fit to burst. _Love_. The feeling was a shiver of contentment between them, words unneeded as they separated and Rey stroked his face and smiled at him.

He smiled right back, and it felt good. He hadn't smiled in so long. But it felt good and right in this moment.

They were both running on empty, but it didn't bother either of them. Rey edited her previous desire to just lay here and be forgotten; she wanted to stay with Ben, in his arms, surrounded by his presence. She could feel him through the Force, no longer a cold, wavering blur, but a warm, inviting force.

She kissed him again, clutching his shirt in her hands until a shake from the battle reigned dust and debris from the open cavern.

Ben used what little strength he had to shield them from the larger pieces, which broke the spell. Rey blinked and looked around at the cold devastation and then squinted up at the battle. There were many ships up there…many, many non-First Order ships. She reached out tentatively and felt that the tide was in the Resistance's favor. She couldn't hold her grip on the reach long; it taxed her so much her pulse raced and she had to gasp in air.

"We need to get out of here," Ben said, hand gently rubbing against her back.

Nodding, Rey tested out her legs. They felt hollow and heavy, but she was able to stand. The world shook around her and she grabbed both lightsabers, hooking them to her belt with shaking hands. "Are you hurt too badly?" she asked, concern lacing her words. She could feel it now, the euphoria gone, the pain hovering around him. "Ben…"

"I'm fine," he insisted even as she crouched and held out her hand. He was badly wounded from his fall, bleeding and bruised at his hip and abdomen, which she inspected with a soft gaze and touch over his skin.

"Can you even stand?"

"With help," he confessed.

She, with a little assistance from the Force, got him to his feet and did her best to steady him, gripping his waist, his arm slung across her shoulders. Ten steps forward and their energy was almost spent.

"You should go on without me," Ben said.

"No," she said, almost before he'd finished and tightened her grip around his waist and wrist and pulling them forward.

They didn't waste energy talking any more as they stumbled and gritted teeth and dragged their feet forward. All around them _booms_ filled their ears, the air clogging with dust and dirt. Rey could hardly catch her breath by the time they found the elevator up.

"Please work, please work," she muttered as Ben clenched his jaw and let out a groan of discomfort as he stepped up to the platform. Thankfully it still moved. They collapsed together on it, leaning against one another, breathing rapidly and hoping against all hope that they would get out of here alive.

Rey clasped her hand on Ben's shoulder and his hand found hers, lacing their fingers together as they rose. It felt too short of a time before it stopped. There was nothing but a thin line of blue light, and a shaking, ancient power of a Sith lair above them.

"We have to get out of here before this whole thing collapses," Rey said, once again gathering as much strength as she could to get Ben to his feet. The walk seemed endless. The blue light was broken by red plumes as ships went down.

Just when they thought all hope was lost, they emerged and the dusty fog died down. Ships were coming down all around them. Some smaller Resistance craft, but most of them were the Sith Fleet.

There were too many Resistance ships to count.

"Wow," Rey breathed out, allowing herself a moment to see how powerfully the galaxy was fighting back. There _were_ others out there fighting. Leia would have been so proud.

At the thought of Leia, a tear slipped down Rey's cheek and Ben sagged a little next to her. She cleared her throat and walked them over to the Red Five, letting Ben go to rest against the landing gear. She climbed up to the cockpit and tried to make any logical way for two people to fit inside.

Defeated, she slid back down to the cracked dirt and sat down next to Ben. "This thing's not meant to hold two," she said quietly, as if it were her fault for choosing a one-seater ship in the first place.

Ben felt her guilt and sadness and reached to take her hand in his. And he said her name, just her name, nothing else, looking at her with those eyes as deep as oceans and Rey felt a renewed sense of self.

She nodded and lifted his hand, holding it in both of hers and lightly rested her lips against his skin before the idea came to her exhausted mind.

"Stay here," she said, as if he had a choice in the matter, as she got to her feet and climbed back into the cockpit. The old fighter helmet was barely good to save her brain from a crash landing, but with a little finagling, she was able to get the radio going serviceably. There were plenty of ships above them; one of them was bound to hear them.

"Hello?" she said into the crackling mouthpiece. "Hello? This is Rey, with the Resistance. Hello?" She tried for another minute, two, before an unfamiliar male voice came through:

"The Resistance? Hello?"

"Yes!" She gripped the mouthpiece tighter. "Are you on one of those ships? I need a lift."

"I've got a ship," the voice came through clear enough.

"Do you see the Red Five? Down on the surface?" She took out Leia's lightsaber and lit it up, waving it above her head.

"I take it you're that lightsaber?"

"Yes!"

"Be right down. Hold tight."

Relief surged through Rey and she put the lightsaber and helmet back and went back down under the Red Five, breathless with excitement, "Ben, Ben, they—" He was still, eyes closed, and for the a brief, horrifying moment, she thought the worst, but the moment she touched his shoulder, he jerked awake and she let out the choked breath she'd been holding.

"Sorry," he said, sensing her emotions.

In lieu of words, she embraced him, nearly ending in his lap again, needing to feel his solid warmth to tell herself he was still here. He returned the hug, one arm tight around her back, the other smoothing over her hair before gripping her shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere," he told her, and she nodded against his shoulder before she leaned back in a crouch.

"I found a ship to pick us up," she said, just before the dust around them began to swirl so much they had to close their eyes and shield their faces. The ship that descended was about the size of the Falcon, though it wasn't the same model.

The cargo ramp came down and Rey stood, squinting through the fog to see who walked down the ramp.

"Hello there," the same voice from before said. The dust cleared and Rey looked at a thirty-something man who was partially green. As in his skin was dark tan mostly but also green, around his ears, which were slightly pointed, and parts of his face, his hands and the bits of arm she could see. His eyes and hair was also a darker forest shade.

She felt like she knew him. "I'm Rey," she said instead.

"Jacen Syndulla," he introduced, hands on his hips. "Truth be told, I'd already started headed this way when I got your message."

"You were? How did you know we were here?"

At this, Jacen nodded and raised a hand to Ben, who raised one in turn. "Woulda been a Jedi if the times called for it," he said simply with a shrug. "Dad was one."

"Kanan Jarrus." The name came unbidden from Rey's mouth. She instinctively knew the name, knew the man; he was one of the voices she'd heard, one of the past Jedi.

Jacen tilted his head to one said as he headed toward Ben. "Yeah, that's the one. You need some help there?"

Rey frowned then blinked, turning. "It's his leg," she said, helping on one side of Ben.

Each step was painful for Ben, but he endured it. "Among other things," he added as they got him into the ship.

The ramp closed, leaving them in a space big enough to hold quite a bit of cargo. There was nothing but ladders heading up.

Ben groaned and inwardly cursed.

"Is that the only way up?" Rey asked, peering up the ladder.

"Sadly. Design flaw," Jacen said, before he ran his hand along the wall and whispered, "That's a lie, you're perfect, Ghost."

"Can you use the Force, Jacen?" Rey asked. "I mean, more than just sensing things?"

"A bit."

Ben followed Rey's train of thought and a tiny bit of his pride sprung up before he relented. "Fine. Go ahead." Between the two of them, they delicately helped Ben up the ladder with Force nudges and finally got him to a seating area.

The ship took off then. Rey sat on the couch next to Ben and Jacen came back with a med kit. "Got some stuff for pain," he set a bottle down on the table, "and I can probably make a lousy splint for the leg."

"I'd appreciate that," Ben said, unused to kindness. He'd forgotten how nice it was.

Jacen flashed a smile, showing pointed canine teeth. "You got it. I'll grab some food for you two. Be right back."

He disappeared and was followed by a loud chirping of a droid.

Rey lay her hand over Ben's wounded side. "Let me heal you."

"No." His voice was soft and he gripped her fingers in his hand gently. "We're both barely hanging on. I won't let you use all your strength on me."

They held each other's gaze for some time before Rey relented and picked up the pain meds instead. There wasn't much she could do for the internal bleeding without using a lot of Force power, but she could do everything else she could to make him comfortable until they could get him to a medical droid or doctor.

Jacen returned shortly with water and food. Ben took some pills as Jacen set his leg and Rey barely nibbled her food even though she was starving. She could feel Ben's discomfort and pain and it twisted her stomach; she wished she could take it away so he didn't have to feel it.

"Is the fight still going on?" she asked, trying to distract herself.

"Just about. General Dameron is—"

"Poe is a General now?" Rey interjected with a little surprised laugh.

"Yep. He's the one who called out to us," Jacen finished the splint and stood up, wiping the back of his wrist on his forehead. "We've all been scattered around, those who oppose the First Order, but the call…it was hard to ignore. Poe offered up the base for anyone who wanted a direct involvement in the Resistance. We're heading there soon."

Rey smiled, comforted in the fact that she would soon be back with her friends, her family. But she wasn't blind to Ben's discomfort at the thought. Jacen may not know who Kylo Ren looked like, but most, if not all, of Leia's Resistance knew. He wouldn't be welcome there; at least not at first. She squeezed his hand and stood. Her head swam and she knew she should rest, but she needed more answers.

Ben dug into the food, knowing logically that it would help him build the strength he greatly needed. Rey followed Jacen to the corridor, though stayed in view of Ben. "Is there a medical droid on board?" she asked softly.

"Nah. Just Chopper, and has his name suggests…he's better at taking things apart than putting them together."

Rey frowned a little and glanced back into the darkened recreation area.

"You're really worried about him."

"Yes."

"I don't pretend to know what happened around here. A Sith Fleet? The Emperor returning—"

"He's dead. For good," Rey said, sharper than she intended.

Jacen nodded. "Good. All I know is that Mom heard that there was another fight and she couldn't shake this one."

"Your mother…Hera Syndulla?" Rey's eyes widened. She'd heard a lot about the Twi'lek pilot when she and Leia and the others had just left Crait and were looking for a new base. They'd stayed on Ryloth for a short time.

"The one and only." He smiled, proudly. "She can take a look at your…friend, if you want. She's been around enough battles. If it would make you feel better."

It would. Rey told him so and went back to Ben, who hadn't realized his hunger and had devoured his food and half of hers. She arched an eyebrow at the missing food but said nothing about the food. "They don't have a medical droid but their pilot is coming to check you out."

"You're worried about me." Ben was sitting back, head resting on the back curve of the cushion, leg stretched out in front of him.

"Yes I am. You used a lot of energy to bring me back and I—" She couldn't say the words and just ate instead, but he knew what she was going to say.

The legendary pilot, Hera Syndulla, was a green skinned Twi'Lek with white circular markings on her lekku and a few wrinkles around her eyes. Her voice was soft and kind and motherly and Rey was too tired to pester her as one pilot to another. They spoke a bit of the battle, and Hera told them that Ben would be fine if they got to the Resistance soon.

"If only we were by a Twi'lek settlement," Hera said after she'd checked Ben and Rey and got Ben as comfortable as possible. "Our healing baths would be beneficial to you both."

Rey gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

Hera stood and looked at them both. "Looks like you two fought your own war down there." She held up her hand when Rey opened her mouth to speak. "I understand…enough about Sith and Jedi and the things in between. I don't ask questions. Not anymore. We should be getting to your base soon. Try to rest until we can get you safely there."

"Thank you," Ben said, his voice soft as she left to return to the pilot's chair.

Rey settled in close to Ben and held his hand. She didn't want to stop touching him, reminding herself he was alive and real. Ben hadn't been touched so softly in a long time and accepted her affection, though he did try to stay awake so he didn't scare her again.

It took a while to find a place to set down The Ghost. Rey was on the edge of sleep, still holding Ben's hand when Jacen poked his head into the room and knocked on the edge of the door. "Just touched down. I'm gonna go grab a med droid."

Rey blinked, feeling heavy and tired, but the food and relaxation had helped. It would probably be days or weeks before she felt at her full strength again. Her worry for Ben ate at her until he squeezed her hand and told her that he would be fine.

"And you're just making it worse worrying so much. Now I'm worried about you worrying and it's gonna turn into an endless cycle." He waved his hand around.

He smiled, just a touch, and Rey could see the resemblance to Han Solo in him.

Hera was in the hall as Ben hobbled out, looming over the woman even as he hunched over. "You're gonna be fine," she assured him. "Need some help?"

"We'll manage," Rey said. It was easier for Ben to get down the ladder, though she did stop him from slipping and slamming into the cargo bay at the very end. She slid down easily and helped him as the droid came over with a hovering gurney.

Ben got on, though he refused to lay down. The droid started doing scans right in the brush outside the ship.

"Right, I'm off to meet these Generals," Hera said, pausing to give Rey's shoulder a squeeze. "Jacen?"

"Coming, Ma," he said, before he turned to the two Force users. "See you around, Rey, Ben."

They both gave him a wave as they crashed through tall ferns and headed toward the throng of the Resistance meeting up post-battle. Rey was tugged toward them, but stayed put.

"This could be a very bad idea," Ben said. Sadness clouded his eyes.

She put on her bravest face and took his hands in hers and held them together against her chest. "It will be fine. I'll be at your side. And I'm kind of sneaky. I'll try to get us around the back until I can talk to Poe and Finn alone."

Her calm and certainty soothed him and he slid his hands up her neck to cup her face. She smiled, still caught up in the thrill of having him with her, and happily bent down to kiss him once more. He lay on the gurney then and she walked beside him, listening to the droid give its prognosis. Internal bleeding, broken lower leg, various superficial cuts and scrapes, broken ribs, and a large gash over his left hip.

Rey heard and felt the elation of the crowds around her. Leia's Resistance finding each other again after the battle and embracing—among others, she spotted Finn and Poe hugging and then Poe grabbing Finn's face and kissing him and her heart swelled with the feeling of _love_ all around. There were people coming from all around, heading toward the caves that served as the Resistance's current base.

There was no back way to the caves directly, but she tried to sneak by while everyone was distracted. However, she felt Finn's consciousness in the Force and he found her easily through the crowd.

"Rey!" His voice was filled with relief and he came toward her. She moved toward him too, meeting him halfway. Soon she found herself engulfed between him and Poe and it felt so nice. She had family here. No matter what, these were the people she wanted to share her life with.

"I'm so happy you're okay," she told them both, her face wet with tears as they stepped away from each other. "All those ships that came…that was amazing."

"The spark of the Resistance," Poe said, a little proud.

"And you're General now?" Rey ventured to ask, knowing the reasoning was raw and sad for all of them.

"And me," Finn said, slinging his arm around Poe. "Co-running this thing together."

She smiled, fully happy. But then their attention shifted to the gurney slipping inside.

"Who's that?" Finn asked, already heading toward the droid and Ben.

"Finn, wait," Rey said, jogging after him. She was _so tired_ , it drained her after a few steps. Fear gripped her momentarily before she remembered that these were her friends, her family, and they respected her. They would have to listen to what she had to say about Ben.

"Is that…?" Finn stopped short as the droid put the gurney in place in the infirmary cove, among injured others who were already sedated and treated.

Rey gasped for air as she placed herself between Ben and Finn and Poe. "It is. But he's…he's turned. He's not Kylo Ren anymore."

"He is sedated," the droid said helpfully from behind Rey.

"Not… _not_ Kylo Ren? You mean we're not harboring the Supreme Leader under our very roof?" Poe said, voice tight and clipped.

"Not anymore," Rey held up her hands as if warding off wild animals. "I promise you that. I would never betray you."

Finn clenched his jaw, eyes on the unmoving form in black. "Rey," he said, slowly moving his eyes to her face.

"Yes, Finn?"

"That thing, I was going to tell you."

Poe scoffed and mumbled something under his breath.

"I uh…I've been feeling things. Sensing things. Right and wrong, intuition that's better than intuition."

Rey's eyes lit up. "The Force. Finn! You're Force Sensitive. That makes so much sense. No wonder you defected from the First Order." Her words came out in a rush, much like their very first meeting on the Falcon.

Poe was standing there, a little shocked. "Seriously?"

Finn turned to him and nodded once. "Seriously."

"And you wanted to tell Rey first? Before me?" He sounded…well a little hurt actually. Rey glanced down.

"Just because she _knows_ this stuff," Finn insisted. "Besides we weren't…it wasn't…look, a lot is going on right now."

"Yeah, so why bring it up now? Why not in the tunnels with that giant worm-snake-thing?"

"Because he can feel the changes in the Force," Rey answered for Finn. "He's sensitive to it, so he can feel shifts in the balance." She had hope blooming in her chest like a flower. She stepped forward and took Finn's hand and brought him closer to Ben, who was getting remarkable treatment for being in the middle of the jungle with a med droid that was generations old. "Can you feel it, Finn?" she asked. "The change?"

Finn frowned, though he held onto her hand and concentrated, feeling his gut, his intuition, that part of him that was _more_ than him. "He doesn't feel like he did before," Finn said slowly. "I'm not shaking in my boots wanting to punch his face or take him down with a lightsaber."

Rey looked at Poe, a little quizzical at Finn's answer. Poe held Finn's eyes and then Rey's before he decided. "Fine…he stays… _for now_. But he's gotta be put somewhere out of the general population. We don't want a riot now that we're so close to peace."

Rey beamed. "Thank you, Poe. I think…I think we won't be staying long."

"We?" Finn echoed.

"And you? What the hell happened there?" Poe asked.

Rey sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of everything on her shoulders, on her chest, like she was holding up the weight of the world. "Short story: The Emperor is gone. For good."

"You stopped him?" Finn asked, breathless, still holding her hand. He squeezed.

"Yes. And…I'm extremely tired. I'll take Ben to my quarters and I'll tell you all about it after I sleep."

Finn and Poe seemed to notice how tired and drained she looked in unison. "You should let the droid look over you too," Poe said, showing concern for her.

She smiled and nodded. "Hera and Jacen Syndulla picked us up and got us here," she said, before they left. "They were looking for the General. And I guess that's you two now."

They parted at that and Rey let the droid check up on her as BB-8 rolled up and bumped her on the leg.

"Hey, BB!" She pulled up enough strength to crouch down and gently scratch his round belly and check his antennae. The little droid beeped. "I'm happy to see you too. Oh this? This is Ben." BB-8 beeped. "He's a friend."

The little droid stayed, rolling at her side as she snuck the gurney away to her little cove and placed it in the back, in the shadows. The books from Ahch-To were still there where she left them. She would use them with Ben, probably, if they wanted to keep the Light strong. But that was a thought for another time, one that was far away.

BB-8 beeped and nudged his way around, comfortingly talking with Rey as she gathered up her nest of a bed and set it beside Ben's gurney, which was almost touching the ground. She lay down and spoke a few more words to the droid before falling into a deep sleep.

They both slept with no nightmares, deeply and soundly, as if they had never been able to sleep properly before. The type of sleep that was only broken from physically being woken. With the base so filled and busy, with new faces and old, as well as preparations for those lost, it was a day and a half before someone woke Rey by nudging her boot.

It was BB-8, who had done quite a bit of work, zooming around, running errands for Poe and talking to many new droids from those new ships who wanted to join the active Resistance. The droid had to nudge her quite a lot before Rey was brought to consciousness.

She felt sluggish at first, having to shake off the deep, healing sleep. Had it actually been a healing trance? Jedi could do that, she'd read; it was relatively easy if you had the concentration. She wasn't sure, but she certainly felt better as she slowly sat up, squinting at the light coming through.

BB-8 beeped.

"Poe says what?" Rey said, sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and she could feel that her hair was sticking up all over the place. She tugged it out of its loops and ran her fingers through it as she tried to make sense of what the droid was saying. She leaned back and bumped against the gurney, which resulted in further dragging her to the present.

"Ben!" she whispered, twisting around to see how he was doing. Sleeping still, he seemed to be at ease. She smiled and brushed some hair away from his face. BB-8 rolled into her foot.

"Yes, all right. I'll come down and give my report. Will you…will you stay and make sure no one comes up here?" She twisted on her knees and looked the little droid right in his optical receiver.

BB-8 nodded affirmative and Rey patted his little head as she got to her feet, pulled on her boots and grimaced at the grime on her skin and clothes. Thinking Poe wouldn't mind, she took a moment to use the make-shift shower facilities outside along the west side of the cave and once she was refreshed, she walked toward the gathering of people giving reports. All that was left of the leadership of the Resistance. It pained Rey to not see Leia, but she felt peace then, knowing that her Master had become one with the Force, as they all did when they died if they were open to it.

"Rey, you're looking refreshed," Rose said, giving Rey a little half-hug. Rey gave her a smile in return, conscious, somehow, of her hair being down and wet. She wasn't fully put together, but she also didn't mind. She was no longer consumed with the knowledge of having to fight against Kylo Ren, the First Order, all of it. She could just be Rey for a little while.

Poe and Finn met her eyes and nodded. They hadn't told anyone about Ben. She thanked them with a smile before she went into her report. There wasn't a lot of detail she could give, mostly because it was hard to explain and understand even to herself, much less to the people around her, but the gist was that Luke had come to her and given her guidance and his X-Wing and she had faced Palpatine and defeated him. Forever, she hoped.

That sent a wave of relief through the crowd.

"And what about Kylo Ren and the First Order," someone asked. "We took out their extra Sith Fleet and a command ship but what about them?"

Rey froze before she reminded herself to relax and breath. There was nothing she had to fear now. She had faced her biggest obstacle: herself, and was now in balance. "Kylo Ren is gone," she said simply. Another ripple, whispers, questions.

"It's true," Finn backed her up. "I think."

"What does that mean, Finn?" Rose asked.

This was Rey's territory and while Ben should be the one to speak for himself, she figured that they wouldn't let him get a word out before they blasted him so she needed to soften their resolve first. "He no longer exists because he's turned to the Light side."

When there were more questions, Finn stepped in, "In simple terms, he's on our side now."

Eruptions.

"What? He's killed so many people!"

"He's a Jedi Killer!"

"We can't trust that! He's a criminal!"

Rey sighed, knowing this would happen and wondering how long she could keep Ben sequestered in the shadowy corner of her quarters. Turns out it wouldn't be long, because she heard his voice from behind her and twisted around to see him leaning on the stairs near where she'd left him.

"That's only somewhat true. I've never killed a Jedi," he said in his best attempt at humor mixed with sincerity.

It didn't go over well.

A number of blasters rose and it was Poe who immediately called to order and to put down all arms. Rey sent her thanks to him through the Force.

"I know you don't want me here," Ben continued, looking more worse for wear than Rey, but still eons better than the last time he was walking and talking. "And I don't plan on staying very long. I was injured fighting Palpatine." He motioned toward his leg.

Another ripple, this one curious and confused.

"Ben stood by my side against Palpatine," Rey said, standing up to gather attention. "I told you, he's turned. And if we're lucky," she paused and glanced over at him, "he could be paramount in helping us take down the rest of the First Order."

Ben nodded and Rey turned her attention back to the Resistance.

"This is a lot to take in," Finn started and Poe picked up his train of thought: "But for now, let's take care of our wounded, make connections with our new allies, and perform a memorial ceremony. It's the least we can do to let another injured body stay here."

That seemed to calm everyone, as did Rey's general calm and clear demeanor. She stayed with Finn and Poe a few extra minutes to thank them for her support before going to Ben and helping him back up the stairs and to the gurney.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, hands gently caressing his face.

"Like I slept for a whole week. And you?"

She shrugged, laying her hand over his chest and feeling with the Force. "Let me help with the healing." When he started to protest, she shook her head, "I'm strong enough."

He conceded and she healed his insides and set his leg healing faster. Not completely, but better. She then sat next to him and thanked BB-8 for watching Ben. The little droid beeped and rolled away.

They were silent as the sounds of the Resistance going about their business met their ears.

"What now?" Ben asked after a few minutes.

"You can get cleaned up," Rey suggested. "And then we can get some food and figure it out from there."

He turned to her and gave her a smile, small but no less warm than any other. "Sounds like a plan."

They stayed to themselves for the next few days. They talked not of past deeds, bad things, but turned their minds toward the future. It was obvious that Ben wasn't ready to join the Resistance just yet; at least not in a public way. The hostility was viable and he understood it. He didn't want to make things worse.

"I'm not even sure I want to fight any more. I mean, not right now," Rey had said once they got into it. They were seated close enough together that parts of them were touching; that's how they always were now, as if that physical contact grounded them. "I still have Luke and Leia's lightsabers but I'm…I don't know what to do with them. They belong to you."

The lightsabers in question were wrapped in leather, sitting on top of the chest with the Jedi texts. Ben's leg was still healing and he had it laid out in front of him, his back to the alcove wall. Rey sat in front of him, resting her hand on his leg, gently feeding it more healing power. It was almost good enough to walk unhindered.

"Do _you_ want to fight any more?" she asked as he nudged her bent knee with the back of his fingers. She looked up at him then.

"Not to kill," he said with certainty. "But there's a lot of First Order left. People will be trying to take control, it's gonna fall apart…it'll take a lot of fighting to get the galaxy back in order."

She nodded, understanding that he felt both obligated to help take down what he'd been a part of, as well as tired. Tired of fighting, tired of killing. He had already thrown away his blood red lightsaber which seemed like a pretty obvious sign that he wasn't ready to fight. Not yet.

"Soon though," he added. She felt obligated to fight as well. These were her friends and family around them. He could feel that and he knew how much she wanted to keep them safe. "But I'd like to…get away."

"Can't take a vacation from a war," Rey said, a little half-heartedly.

Ben shook his head and took her hand, urging her closer. She crawled over his injured leg and settled next to him. He put his arm around her back, hand holding onto her hip and keeping her close. Their free hands found each other and folded together. "It's not a vacation. More of a…Force retreat. I turned but I can still use some time and guidance to find my balance."

She understood that. And it made it feel less like they were running away. "We can leave after the memorial service," she said softly, turning toward him and nuzzling against his chest, still holding on tightly to his hand.

"Okay," he said, resting his chin on her head and letting the sadness of losing his mother pass through and over him. Instead, he remembered her love, her devotion to saving him that had led her to reach him across a galaxy.

People still eyed Ben as he and Rey got their things together. But there were bigger problems and he'd done nothing suspicious while here. He'd even given a bit of advice and starting points to Poe to share with this scouts about the First Order.

No one knew if they'd be back except for Finn, who could feel it. Rey didn't exactly say goodbye to him officially, but she did give him a hug and told him to look after himself. Later in the day, after dusk, when most people were in their camps, they got their things—clothes, lightsabers, food—and made their way to the Millennium Falcon.

Ben kept his thoughts to himself about the ship still being a piece of junk; but it was a resilient piece of junk. They got on board and he was hit with a wave of nostalgia, but most of it was good. Love for and from his parents, acceptance that they were far from perfect, but they had loved him to their very ends and beyond.

"You okay?" Rey asked, pausing beside him near the game table. She put her hand on his arm to remind him what was real.

"Yeah," he breathed out, before following her around to the cockpit. They started her up; Rey was accustomed to the controls. Ben walked back through the corridor and stopped short.

"You're just like your father," Lando Calrissian said, though his words weren't unkind. "He was always stealing this ship from me."

Beside him, Chewbacca growled. Ben knew he had done much harm in the Wookiee's eyes and would have to do much to gain any trust from the creature.

"We weren't stealing it," Ben said automatically, as if he were a kid caught grabbing a sweet from a jar when he wasn't supposed to. "Just borrowing."

Lando arched an eyebrow. "Right." He chuckled and walked past Ben to the cockpit where he spoke to Rey briefly.

This left Ben with Chewie. "I'm sorry," was a good a place as any to start.

Chewbacca whined.

"I know they're just words. But I mean them. I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know that I'm trying. Please."

The Wookiee eyed him for a while before he gave a grunt of agreement and walked off the ship. Lando soon followed, giving them his blessing for taking the old girl out again. "Just bring her back in one piece," he called as the ramp closed.

"I'm not Poe," Rey called from the pilot's seat. "I actually take care of my ships."

Ben appeared behind her. "Do you? I remember a certain number of demolished ships in your wake."

She shrugged, fighting a smile, and nodded him toward the co-pilot's chair. He sat, rushed with a wave of nostalgia. He'd been too young to really know all the controls the last time he was in here, but it was enough. But he knew now.

Soon, they had lifted off and headed out of the atmosphere. From above, there was at least double the amount of ships on the ground. So many new Resistance fighters. Rey felt that they would beat this and come out victorious. She didn't feel so bad about leaving.

"Where to?" Rey asked.

Their bond was still there, even when they were close. They were more in tune with each other than other people at all times. They could speak without words, but sometimes words were good too.

"Was thinking Naboo."

Rey knew what that meant to him. It was part of history, but it was also a lovely planet, untouched by war, filled with greenery and beauty. "Sounds perfect."

The planet _was_ nearly perfect. They got codes to touch down and found a cabin to rent in the mountains, which were in full bloom. Flowers, ferns and trees were covered in leaves; there was so much green and color that Rey almost felt overwhelmed. At one point, not so long ago, she had been, but after the last year, she'd gotten used to greenery.

But she still found it beautiful. Light and life was all around them. Their ship was safely stored away and they had a small, wooden building with just enough amenities to live. It was a step up from secluding herself on Ahch-To.

And they were alone. They did not talk about those past deeds and things that could still haunt them. Not yet. There was time for that, perhaps, in the future, but not now. Now was a time to rush through the forest propelled by the Force and swim in clear pools under waterfalls and kiss and touch each other because they could and they wanted to.

They would also spend hours sitting and talking. About what they knew of the Force, about themselves, about the future, where there was always a _we_ rather than an _I._ Rey loved to eat and Ben was not a great cook, but he learned fast and while he made no feasts, there was always enough food. Ben wasn't quite sure what he loved, besides Rey, because he hadn't been himself for so long.

They meditated together, feeling and exploring the Force. They shared the experiences together and Ben showed her how liberating it was to use the Light rather than the Dark, which was fueled on such pain and hatred. It was hard not to let it paint the soul, but Rey could feel the Lightness in him.

Rey, in her powerful and emotional state on the Death Star, had healed the wounds she inflicted, both new and old. His skin was smooth where there had once been scars from her. One night, with the light coming through the windows and Ben nearly asleep, Rey ran her fingertips down the ghost lines of scars on his face and torso.

"Are you trying to tickle me?" Ben murmured, circling his arm around her equally bare torso.

"No," she said softly, smiling down at him.

He cracked open an eye and looked at her as best he could in the dark. "What is it?" He could sense her seriousness.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but the words didn't feel right and nothing came out. He felt their meaning across the Force and gently took her hand resting on his chest in his own.

"I know," he said simply and she cuddled closer, putting her head on his shoulder. "The past is…muddy and dark but we'll face it. Together."

"Just not right now. I know this is supposed to be healing for the both of us. I don't want to bring up things that can't be changed. I was just thinking."

"Thinking's allowed."

"I never asked for your permission to think," she teased, slightly serious, "but I know what you mean." She tilted her head up and kissed what she could reach, his neck, the underside of his jaw. "Let's sleep."

"Sleep? You just woke me up."

"I'm tired." She fake yawned. "See?"

He grumbled a bit and twisted them around under the covers so they faced each other. Flesh on flesh was still a very new thing for Rey but she was quickly finding she enjoyed it quite a lot. She did her best to wriggle her arms around his neck, pulling him half on top of her.

"Okay, I see your point," she said, smiling visible in the glint of moonslight. "I guess sleep can wait."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her full on the mouth, running his hand down her body, over her small waist to her hips. He helped her leg over his own hip and rolled on top of her. She greedily leaned up to kiss him deeper and ran her small, powerful hands down from his neck to his chest before settling back against the pillow.

"Ben," she said softly, half lit by the moons. "You know that I love you more than anything, don't you?"

"Yes," he said, gently kissing the hand she curled around his cheek. "And I love you."

They smiled at each other because it was true and the words held a weight that their ears longed to hear, no matter how much they could feel it between them in the Force. They came together again and thought, perhaps that they could stay here forever. But it was a flight of fancy dream. The Resistance would soon come calling and they would be forced into the fray once again, but for now there was nothing but themselves and the beautiful, lush expanse of Naboo.

**Author's Note:**

> ben is so soft i love him so much. T___T
> 
> **edit, two days later** : SHIT I FORGOT ABOUT BEN'S TIE FIGHTER; fck ignore my mistake pls i've only seen this movie once


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